El Paso, TX (Feb 11, 2023) – The Corpus Christi IceRays’ next game is tonight, Saturday, February 11th, 2023 at El Paso County Events Center. Puck drops at 8:00 PM CDT against the El Paso Rhinos.
Highlights from Last Night
With two strikes within the first eight minutes of the tilt last night, you knew the IceRays were committed to snapping the 4-game skid they had been riding after consecutive weekend sweeps to Oklahoma.
IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier juggled the lines prior to the game which paid big dividends for the squad. He slotted forwards Cam Crolley, Blake Lewis and Logan Neilson together, all of whom had two points in the game and were the IceRays most productive line of the night. Dylan Contreras, who was moved to the right wing on the second line, had two points of his own.
Although not recognized as one of the three stars, IceRays netminder Patrik Jurcak certainly deserves to be highlighted. He turned aside 37 of 38 shots in his fifth appearance of the season since joining the team in mid-January. The Slovakia-native withstood a big push from the Rhinos in the third period in route to his first win of the season.
Game Preview
The IceRays are now tied with the Rhinos with 25 points apiece. The Rhinos still hold the seventh seed in the standings having played one fewer game, yet the struggles continue for them, now 1-8-1 in their last 10 games.
Tonight will be the eighth and final meeting between Corpus Christi and El Paso this season and a win would launch the IceRays into seventh place in the South.
The IceRays will look to secure their fifth road win of the year and pull off their second sweep in the past three weeks. Expect to see a similar lineup for the IceRays tonight after last night’s solid performance up and down the lineup.
Players to Watch
It was certainly good to have forward Cam Crolley back in the lineup last night for the IceRays after having sat out the previous three games with an upper body injury. He was slotted back at left wing on the third line alongside Blake Lewis and Logan Neilson. The Kansas City-native posted two assists in his return to the lineup, now with 18 points on the year and surpassing his point total from last season. Tonight will be Crolley’s 75th career game with the IceRays, look for him to contribute once again.
El Paso forward Frank Tafelski leads the team with four points against the IceRays this season. The Troy, MI native has been held off the scoresheet the past four games but led the team with five shots on goal last night. Tonight will be Tafelski’s 53rd game in a Rhinos uniform, the longest tenure of any active player on their roster. Look for him to be a difference maker tonight.
Join the Action and Bring the Sting
IceRays tickets are on sale at the American Bank Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information on the IceRays, or to purchase tickets, visit us here on goicerays.com or call 361-814-PUCK (7825).
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